INTO THE LOST CRYSTAL CAVES!

In the desert near Naica, Mexico, there is a hidden treasure… a place where crystals can be found up to 35 ft long. A crystal cave was accidentally discovered in 2000 by miners. Marc Beverly1 is a professional climber and rescuer and he participated in this wonderful adventure in 2010.

His job was to figure out a way to get down and explore safely the Robin Hole (Mexico) to see if there were any other undiscovered crystal caves. The Robin Hole is a 2000 ft deep underground drilled hole that punctured into another pocket, much like Cristales Cave. The conditions are extreme; 48o C, 95% humidity and the pressure changes continuously. To get there, Marc wore a special compression garment since these extreme conditions can kill a man within half an hour when performing high physical activity.

To communicate with the surface crew, Marc used a horn signal telling them to pull him up. When the surface crew heard the signal, they started to winch. Within 20 minutes, Marc Beverly was pulled 2000 ft, to the surface!

When we contacted Marc Beverly to find out more about his experience, he didn’t hesitate to mention that ‘‘without the Portable Winch, the experience would have been too dangerous. The winch guaranteed my safe mobility into and out of the cave. I choose this winch because it is portable and gas-powered, making it fully independent in a remote area. I needed something that could pull no matter the situation! The Portable Winch was the safest option.’’

We invite you to watch the video produced by National Geographic, to better understand his experience and how they push the human limits! You will also see how the team was tired and scared when Marc decided to go further to see if there was any evidence of another cave. He went there alone, when it was time to go up! That was very dangerous! When we told you that this adventure is all about the human experience, that’s just what it was.

We also asked Marc what his favorite moment was and he told us that it was when he was hoisted up with the winch. ‘‘The moment was just amazing because I knew I’d make it to the top of this long 2000 ft tunnel, I would not be able to make it on my own power in these extreme environmental conditions.’’ Another great moment was when he first entered the cave. ‘‘It was just amazing to be in a place that nobody had ever gone or seen before! To experience the unseen!’’ But at the same time, it was also his most frightening moment. ‘‘It was very physical as I was the first one to go there, I just didn’t know what to expect…’’

Important notice: This is important to remember that the Portable Capstan Winches are not intended for lifting people. Therefore, never use the Portable Winches to lift people. This operation was made by professionals and with adapted equipment.

1Marc has over 30 years of rock climbing experience, is fully Certified AMGA / UIAGM/IFMGA Licensed Mountain Guide. He is also an AAA Certified Avalanche Instructor. Marc Beverly is the author of Santa Fe rock climbing guidebook Jemez Rock & Pecos Area. . He holds a Bachelors of Science in Emergency Medicine Services from UNM, a Masters in Physician Assistant Studies form the Univ of Utah, and is a PhD student in the Exercise Science Department at UNM.